ATV – Arctic Building Diesel Quad with Roush

December 20, 2004

Arctic Cat is working with Roush Technologies, a British subsidiary of U.S.-based Roush Industries, Inc., to develop an ATV that runs off of diesel fuel. The project is part of the British Army’s requirement that all its vehicles use the same kind of fuel.
The diesel quad is derived from Arctic’s 650cc series. The model includes a large 24.6-liter rear mounted fuel tank to offer extended range, has larger wheels and tires, and can haul a half-ton payload.
Roush Technologies started the project two years ago. A small pre-production run is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with full production beginning next year.
“Quad bikes have assumed an increasingly important role in recent military operations, providing soldiers on the ground — and particularly specialist units — with greater mobility in theatre,” Adrian Graves, a Roush spokesman, told The Birmingham Post newspaper. “Military strategists, however, have pursued the ideal of running all vehicles and equipment on diesel aviation kerosene. That means you only have to support the logistics for one type of fuel which makes everything much simpler.”
The company’s Special Vehicles Business Development Manager, Darren Harvey, said civilian applications also are planned.
“Our experience indicates that there are major benefits to be gained by bringing a quad bike to the civilian commercial market which has a military development pedigree as opposed to the more challenging task of preparing a leisure market derived product to suit a military or heavy duty commercial environment,” he told the newspaper. He said interest has been registered from the agricultural, mining, equestrian and forestry industries and some emergency services.
A company of 50 people, Roush Technologies is one of six companies within the Roush Group, which was launched in 1976 as Jack Roush Performance Engineering. With world headquarters in Livonia, Mich, Roush maintains 50 facilities throughout North America, Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom, and has sales offices in Singapore and Mainland China. The company employs 2,000 people worldwide.